Young Friends of the Earth Europe, "Don't Nuke Our Climate!"

December 7, 2010 - 11:13am -- jim

"Don't Nuke Our Climate!"
Young Friends of the Earth Europe

Whilst UN climate negotiations take place in Cancun, European youth have been taking action in Brussels to demand climate justice. As part of an international day of action to oppose false solutions to the climate crisis, 30 young people from across Europe today targeted European institutions and corporations which support and fund nuclear energy. The message is simple: nuclear power is unsustainable and unacceptably dangerous.

“Nuclear energy is promoted as a clean technology but the mining of uranium has massive social and environmental impacts and the problem of safe nuclear waste disposal is yet to be solved. Young people are being locked into an uncertain future where they will have to shoulder the burden of this false solution.” Susi Hammel, Young Friends of the Earth Europe.

As part of a series of actions, youth demonstrated outside the European Commission to highlight its ongoing support for this dangerous technology. They also took action outside the Foratom offices, a powerful pro-nuclear lobby group, and BNP Paribas whose significant financial contributions enable the ongoing development of the nuclear industry [1].

“What we need are real solutions. If the negotiators in Cancun care about our future, they will choose renewable resources and opt for decentralised production and distribution of energy. This will empower communities to directly produce their energy from local, sustainable resources.” Sebastian Power, Federation of Young European Greens.

The action takes place as part of the ‘1000 Cancun’s action day’ called for by the International peasant farmers network La Via Campesina [2]. Participants in the action are youth who have gathered from all over Europe for a two week long Climate Justice Convergence in Brussels, in parallel to the UN Climate talks in Mexico. For two weeks, over 60 young people have gathered to take action and demand climate justice.